Navantia, Thales to Upgrade Royal Thai Navy Fleet
Navantia and Thales have signed a partnership agreement to support the modernization of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), including the supply of three Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems for two Pattani-class offshore patrol vessels and the HTMS Chang landing platform dock.
The upgrade work will be carried out by Navantia and marks the first cooperation between the Spanish shipbuilder and Thales in Thailand. The IFF equipment will integrate with existing surveillance radars and combat management systems to enhance real-time situational awareness.
Thales’ IFF interrogators are designed to rapidly identify detected objects and distinguish friendly forces from potential threats. The system works with radar technology and uses cryptographic solutions to securely identify targets, including civil aircraft, helping reduce the risk of friendly fire incidents.
Under the agreement, Thales will supply an IFF solution comprising a medium-and long-range interrogator and a transponder for integration into naval radars and surveillance systems. More than 25,000 Thales IFF systems are currently in service on over 100 platform types in more than 70 countries.
During 2025, Navantia was awarded two contracts for the modernization of the two Pattani-class vessels and the HTMS Chang. The partnership with Thales reinforces the French company’s more than five decades of support to the RTN, whose fleet features Thales radars, sonars, mine-hunting systems, fire control systems and C2 technology on more than 80% of its warships.
“Thales has a strong track record in naval modernisation in Thailand and through this contract, we aim to bring new life into the sensor suites of the HTMS Pattani, HTMS Narathiwat and the HTMS Chang - three of the RTN’s formidable warships. Our IFF solutions ensure security, interoperability and discretion, making them the preferred choice of navies worldwide, and we are proud to partner Navantia in this project to ensure Thailand’s maritime superiority,” said Nicolas Bernardin, Country Director, Thales in Thailand.
